Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime in Golf
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Harvey Penick's life in golf began when he started caddying at the Austin, (Texas), Country Club at age eight. Eighty-one years later he is still there, still dispensing wisdom to pros and beginners alike. His stature in the golf world is reflected in the remarkable array of champions he's worked with, both men and women, including U.S. Open champion and golf's leading money winner Tom Kite, Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, and LPGA Hall of Famers Mickey Wright, Betsy Rawls, and Kathy Whitworth. It is not for nothing that the Teacher of the Year Award given by the Golf Teachers Association is called the Harvey Penick Award. Now, after sixty years of keeping notes on the things he's seen and learned and on the golfing greats he's taught, Penick is finally letting his Little Red Book (named for the red notebook he's always kept) be seen by the golf world. His simple, direct, practical wisdom pares away all the hypertechnical jargon that's grown up around the golf swing, and lets all golfers, whatever their level, play their best. He avoids negative words; when Tom Kite asked him if he should "choke down" on the club for a particular shot, Harvey told him to "grip down" instead, to keep the word "choke" from entering his mind. He advises golfers to have dinner with people who are good putters; their confidence may rub off, and it's certainly better than listening to bad putters complain. And he shows why, if you've got a bad grip, the last thing you want is a good swing. Throughout, Penick's love of golf and, more importantly, his love of teaching shine through. He gets as much pleasure from watching a beginner get the ball in the air for the first time as he does when one of his students wins the U.S. Open. Harvey Penick's Little Red Book is an instant classic, a book to rank with Ben Hogan's Modern Fundamentals of Golf and Tommy Armour's How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time. Library Journal Penick, a golf instructor who has been credited with improving the scores of several professionals on the mens and ladies' tours (including Tom Kite and Sandra Palmer) here provides both physical and psychological tips for golfers. He also instructs on the preparation required before approaching the first tee. Though the value of this book is its information, libraries owning previous works on the mental aspects of golf (e.g., Peter Cranford's The Winning Touch in Golf: A Psychological Approach , 1961. o.p.) can pass. Illustrations not seen.-- Jim Paxman, Tennessee State Univ., Nashville
Contents Introductions My Little Red Book Golf Medicine What's the Problem Looking Up Hand Position The Three Most Important Clubs The Grip The Waggle Holding the Club The Easiest Lesson Palm Reading Starting Young Hole Them All Learning Around the Cup Do You Need Help? The Right Elbow Take Dead Aim Beware How to Knock Five Strokes Off Your Game Reassurance The Practice Swing The Average Golfer How to Tell Where You're Aimed Seasoned Citizens The Left Heel Backspin Heavy Clubs Hints on Greenskeeping The Wrist Cock Hit a Full Approach Easy Bunkers Bunker Play Don't Relax Positive Thinking Psychology Stay Behind the Ball Hitting From the Top Hypnotism The Slow-Motion Drill Powder the Ball Ball Position Swing the Bucket The Weed Cutter Placing Your Feet The Turn Instant Humility Maxims The Mythical Perfect Swing First Things First The Prettiest Swing Hitting the Target The Magic Move How to Practice the Full Swing Warming Up in a Hurry Chipping Putting The Dreaded Four-Footer The Shank Shot Why I Decided to Become a Teacher The Stance A Very Bad Habit The First-Time Student Competition Kids and Carts A Story by Helen Learning Some of the Women in My Life And Some of the Men in My Life The Sexes A Practice Rule John Bredmus Hooking and Slicing Strange Penalty Yardage Long and Short Best Dressed My Best Boys Chip or Pitch Out of Sight The Follow-through A Little Bit A Golfer's Poem Preparing for a Big Match Uphill and Downhill Playing in the Wind Titanic Thompson Trick Shots Caddies A Life in Golf
